Hemerocallis hybrida/Daylily
cv. xe2x80x98Red Hot Returnsxe2x80x99.
The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Hemerocallis of the semi-evergreen type, and hereinafter is referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Red Hot Returnsxe2x80x99.
The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program which had as its objective the creation of a new Daylily cultivar that is intended for use as attractive ornamentation in the landscape.
The cross that resulted in the production of the new cultivar of the present invention was carried out in a controlled environment during July, 1993, at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) of the new cultivar was the xe2x80x98Royal Occasionxe2x80x99 cultivar (non-patented in the United States) having black-violet flowers which display a diameter of approximately 11.5 cm and fragile tepals that lack resistance to sunlight.
The male parent (i.e., the pollen parent) of the new cultivar was the xe2x80x98Pete""s Joyxe2x80x99 cultivar (non-patented in the United States) having pink flowers which display a diameter of approximately 14 cm and fragile tepals that lack resistance to sunlight. Each parent is registered with the American Hemerocallis Society.
The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized as follows:
xe2x80x98Royal Occasionxe2x80x99xc3x97xe2x80x98Pete""s Joyxe2x80x99. 
The seeds resulting from the above pollination were sown and small plantlets were obtained which were physically and biologically different from each other. A number of such plants were transplanted into the field at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. during May, 1994. Selective study during June, 1996 resulted in the identification of a single plant of the new cultivar.
It was found that the new Hemerocallis cultivar of the present invention is of the semi-evergreen type and:
(a) Forms attractive bright cherry red flowers having a substantial substance and a funnel-shaped form,
(b) Possesses a long blooming season with substantially continuous blooming,
(c) Exhibits a propensity to readily display a plurality of fans, and
(d) Readily forms a plurality of scapes per fan over the flowering season.
The xe2x80x98Red Hot Returnsxe2x80x99 cultivar resembles some well-known cultivars, such as the xe2x80x98Stella D"" Oroxe2x80x99 cultivar (non-patented in the United States) and the xe2x80x98Happy Returnsxe2x80x99 cultivar (non-patented in the United States) in the sense that it commonly possesses an extremely long and substantially continuous blooming season of up to approximately 105 days in USDA Hardiness Zone No. 7. Such blooming commonly begins during late May to early June and commonly ends during early to mid-October. This compares to a bloom period of less than about 30 days for over 99 percent of the hybrid Daylilies known to the inventor.
As indicated, xe2x80x98Red Hot Returnsxe2x80x99 exhibits attractive bright cherry red flowers that readily can be distinguished from the orange-yellow flowers of the xe2x80x98Stella D"" Oroxe2x80x99 cultivar and the medium yellow flowers of the xe2x80x98Happy Returnsxe2x80x99 cultivar. To the best of the knowledge of the originator xe2x80x98Red Hot Returnsxe2x80x99 cultivar is the first long and substantially continuously blooming Daylily having flowers that exhibit a bright cherry red hue.
The new cultivar can form up to 3 to 4 or more fans per year. This compares to approximately 6 to 8 fans per year for the xe2x80x98Stella D"" Oroxe2x80x99 cultivar and the xe2x80x98Happy Returnsxe2x80x99 cultivar. Most Daylily cultivars form only approximately 2 to 3 fans per year. Also, the new cultivar commonly forms several scapes per fan during the flowering season, unlike most Daylilies that commonly produce only one scape per fan.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by division was initially carried out on Sep. 20, 1996 at Bridgeton, N.J., U.S.A. At the time of such asexual reproduction the original plant of the new cultivar consisted of a clump of 3 to 4 fans that were phenotypically indentical to each other. More specifically, the clump of the new cultivar was removed from the field and the fans were divided. It has been demonstrated that the characteristics of the new cultivar are firmly fixed and are well retained following this asexual reproduction.
xe2x80x98Red Hot Returnsxe2x80x99 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light, day length, contact with pesticides, etc.
The new cultivar is being marketed beginning in 2002 while bearing the HAPPY EVER APPSTER trademark.